Host singing and when not to sing

[DanG2006]

When is it okay for a host to sing? Personally, I will sing the first song and if I have more than 8 singers won't sing again for the rest of the night unless someone needs a duet partner. I actually don't have a problem with hosts singing as long as it's the same amount of songs in a rotation as the other singers, which should be one song submitted under a name.

[The Lone Ranger]

When is it okay for a host to sing? Personally, I will sing the first song and if I have more than 8 singers won't sing again for the rest of the night unless someone needs a duet partner. I actually don't have a problem with hosts singing as long as it's the same amount of songs in a rotation as the other singers, which should be one song submitted under a name.

It depends on the host Danny you are the captain of your own ship a.k.a the show. If you are doing things correctly you should be rewarded with a crowd large enough to where you won't have to sing all night if you are lucky, and follow your 8 singer rule. That is the real key to everything having firm rules about how you run your show and sticking to them. Patrons will respond to your show and you should have a steady following in a perfect world. Here is the joker in all of this, The God Of Karaoke is fickle. Sometimes you can do everything right and still not have a crowd, while another host can break every rule and still have his venue so full you can't find a seat? Just remember there is no justice in the karaoke jungle. Sort of like Game of Thrones if you are honorable you get your head chopped of first season if you are good at double dealing you can survive to season 7 finale.

[wiseguy]

The job of a KJ is to help the crowd enjoy themselves. Karaoke is the entertainment. We are not there to hog the mic and make ourselves the entertainment. If my show is going well there is no need for me to sing at all, except to help with a duet if requested. If I have even four singers, and they all have multiple song requests turned in, I won't sing at all. Two of my pet peeves are a KJ that runs an unfair singer rotation and a KJ who thinks they are there to entertain the crowd with their singing talent. These just happen to be the pet peeves of most karaoke singers as well.

[mr.dj]

Much like Dang2006, I sing first song mainly to check all is OK. I stay in the rotation until there are more than 6 singers then drop out.
Sometimes depending on the crowd, I might get all singers up for the last song to do a group song to close the show. I only have 4 mics but by that time most have had plenty to drink and don't care anymore.

[DanG2006]

The job of a KJ is to help the crowd enjoy themselves. Karaoke is the entertainment. We are not there to hog the mic and make ourselves the entertainment. If my show is going well there is no need for me to sing at all, except to help with a duet if requested. If I have even four singers, and they all have multiple song requests turned in, I won't sing at all. Two of my pet peeves are a KJ that runs an unfair singer rotation and a KJ who thinks they are there to entertain the crowd with their singing talent. These just happen to be the pet peeves of most karaoke singers as well.

I personally believe that 4 singers is too small a number of singers to pull yourself out of the rotation, I chose 8 not because I like to sing, which I do but that's not what I am being paid for, but because any less and you risk some of the nonsingers walking out because they are sick of hearing from the same four singers for say 4 or 5 rotations. Where I am, the bar owners want you to start at around 9 pm and the place doesn't get to my set limit until 10:30 or 11 pm. Unless the four I might have put in over 5 minute songs, you can be looking at 4 or 5 rotations of the same number of people. Granted I usually have at least 6 singers in the rotation by the time that I start so I only need 2 more singers to kick me out of the rotation.

[Paradigm Karaoke]

we are not there to hog the mic and make ourselves the center of attention, so with a big list, keep singing.
granted...that means you will sing one sing in the night...
some people worry too much about hard details (as you have seen on the other board) but for me....the regular rotations of 15 mean i sing 3 times per night...is that too much? 12 minutes? i don't think so. especially since i am a host, not a DJ. i lead the party, not control it from the platform. i am in there singing with everybody like another patron and taking them along for the ride.
singing when it's only 6 or 8 people to me is worse...8 people means you will be taking more than a half hour of singing time from someone instead of a big rotation where you take 8 minutes from people to keep the party going.

[wiseguy]

Every song I sing will be one less song for the other singers. My shows are 100% about the crowd, especially the singers. Unless it becomes necessary for me to sing I'm not going to.

[The Lone Ranger]

Every song I sing will be one less song for the other singers. My shows are 100% about the crowd, especially the singers. Unless it becomes necessary for me to sing I'm not going to.

The older I get wiseguy the more I'm convinced that the first rule of karaoke is there seems to be no rules. Like in "Game of Thrones" chaos seems to be a ladder for some shows. I could sit here and give a host the benefits of my experience but since now I have been away from the business on a regular basis my advise would be over two years old. I'm sure things have changed in the industry even in that short amount of time. What worked for me might not work for someone else, that is why there are so many different variations of a karaoke show out here in the public today. Every host runs his show his way, you might not like the way they do it, but if they have a packed venue it is hard to say they are doing it all wrong, if you get my point? It is sort of saying a general didn't follow the rules of engagement, but still won the battle, how do you argue against success? Since nothing succeeds like success!

[wiseguy]

There are certainly rules at my karaoke shows and they haven't changed since 1993. Some things may change, mainly the technology, but two things that all singers still care about the most are a fair rotation and getting to sing as many songs as possible. If you don't provide those two things you are not going to be successful. Beyond these, there are other things such as a good sound system that you know how to use and having a great song library that will add to your success. I have watched many karaoke companies come and go over the years and it was invariably because the karaoke host did not know what his/her job was.

[The Lone Ranger]

There are certainly rules at my karaoke shows and they haven't changed since 1993. Some things may change, mainly the technology, but two things that all singers still care about the most are a fair rotation and getting to sing as many songs as possible. If you don't provide those two things you are not going to be successful. Beyond these, there are other things such as a good sound system that you know how to use and having a great song library that will add to your success. I have watched many karaoke companies come and go over the years and it was invariably because the karaoke host did not know what his/her job was.

My shows were structured also and seemed to do alright. You have to admit though wiseguy there are shows out there that really don't have much order and seem rather chaotic and they are packed. Every host tells me that a fair rotations and getting up as many songs as possible, like you have stated is the way to go. Yet I know many shows where the host in my opinion is doing everything right and still there is no crowd. The bottom line is the bottom line and no show is going to stay at a venue unless it is cost effective. It can't because overall net it is a money loser a pit. Be honest there hasn't been a time in your long career you just wondered why a particular host had a full house, when he was doing everything wrong, really?

[DanG2006]

I may have to change my advertising due to a possible gig at an American Legion post. The person who is looking for karaoke there is used to the style of karaoke/DJ show that my buddy that I normally go to his Friday night show does. I plan to do it but in a different manner. He goes through about 2 to 3 rotations and then takes a break to play DJ music. I will probably be expected to play simular DJ music as well. What I'm planning on doing is to play my DJ music between each rotation unless I have a full show of requests for karaoke. Each rotation I will probably cut down the number of DJ songs until I get to the point that it's straight karaoke.

[wiseguy]

There are certainly rules at my karaoke shows and they haven't changed since 1993. Some things may change, mainly the technology, but two things that all singers still care about the most are a fair rotation and getting to sing as many songs as possible. If you don't provide those two things you are not going to be successful. Beyond these, there are other things such as a good sound system that you know how to use and having a great song library that will add to your success. I have watched many karaoke companies come and go over the years and it was invariably because the karaoke host did not know what his/her job was.

My shows were structured also and seemed to do alright. You have to admit though wiseguy there are shows out there that really don't have much order and seem rather chaotic and they are packed. Every host tells me that a fair rotations and getting up as many songs as possible, like you have stated is the way to go. Yet I know many shows where the host in my opinion is doing everything right and still there is no crowd. The bottom line is the bottom line and no show is going to stay at a venue unless it is cost effective. It can't because overall net it is a money loser a pit. Be honest there hasn't been a time in your long career you just wondered why a particular host had a full house, when he was doing everything wrong, really?

Being honest, I can say that the only time I've seen a bad karaoke host get a big crowd is when the bar already was having big crowds without any entertainment or just a jukebox. In my area, you need to have a following of singers to be consistently successful. You will never accomplish this if you don't treat your singers like they are the most important part of your business.

[wiseguy]

I may have to change my advertising due to a possible gig at an American Legion post. The person who is looking for karaoke there is used to the style of karaoke/DJ show that my buddy that I normally go to his Friday night show does. I plan to do it but in a different manner. He goes through about 2 to 3 rotations and then takes a break to play DJ music. I will probably be expected to play simular DJ music as well. What I'm planning on doing is to play my DJ music between each rotation unless I have a full show of requests for karaoke. Each rotation I will probably cut down the number of DJ songs until I get to the point that it's straight karaoke.

I have always advertised my business a Karaoke & DJ (notice I don't put DJ first). This, of course, doesn't mean I will do solely one or the other or necessarily mix the two at any given gig. Unless you've played a venue for a long time, and have established a karaoke/DJ timetable, you really have to just play it by ear and read the crowd.

[DanG2006]

Turns out that the venue is a singing crowd. They are actually replacing the hosts that they use to have. Apparently the Saturday host was doing something wrong that the venue didn't like so they fired her. Às soon as they fired her the Friday host quit. I figure he was either a close friend, romantically involved or using her system for his show. Oh well, my gain. I know that I shouldn't assume anything but I have a feeling that I may only be singing the first song to set the levels and then bowing out of the rotation. No big deal because I feel that I am not being paid to sing. If I am singing, it either means that I am doing something wrong or it's one of those fluke nights where the singers are just not there.

[The Lone Ranger]

Turns out that the venue is a singing crowd. They are actually replacing the hosts that they use to have. Apparently the Saturday host was doing something wrong that the venue didn't like so they fired her. Às soon as they fired her the Friday host quit. I figure he was either a close friend, romantically involved or using her system for his show. Oh well, my gain. I know that I shouldn't assume anything but I have a feeling that I may only be singing the first song to set the levels and then bowing out of the rotation. No big deal because I feel that I am not being paid to sing. If I am singing, it either means that I am doing something wrong or it's one of those fluke nights where the singers are just not there.

There you go Danny a random situation developed the old hosts were either fired or quit the venue, that fell into your lap. You can't really explain it, yet your are ready to take full advantage of the situation. By the way do you know why the venue selected your service to replace them? I have found out recently that so many of the old timers have left the business, there is sort of a shortage of experienced karaoke hosts, at least in my area. I still have people who want me to come out of retirement, but I really don't want to have to deal with doing a show on a regular basis. I like to travel and enjoy what is left of my life.